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The
witchcraft of the archipelago of Chiloé has
been practiced for ages and ages. When the Spanish arrived in this land of huilliches
(Mapudungun=
" southern people"), the witch doctors of Chiloé had already
been long established.
In many
cases when a witch doctor from Chiloé cured some incurable disease, their fame
spread to far distant places. Also when other sorcerers from malevolent clans
cast spells so intense that it drove more than one enemy mad no other doctor
could help apart from members of a friendly tribe.
In the
18th century, José de Moraleda, wished to prove his proficiency to these huilliches
and establish that he was the most formidable sorcerer in the world. The locals
didn't believe him and called upon the sorceress Chilpilla, who lived in
Quetalco, to confront this intruder to their lands. Moraleda was defeated and
in recognition of this offered the sorceress an enormous book of ancient
witchcraft around the world. Further, Moraleda wrote that the natives of Chiloé
were not as deplorable as he had believed and, in fact, were even better than
some Chileans.
Today
throughout the archipelago of Chiloé there are Machis
(="witch doctors") from white sects who cure diseases which many
doctors have considered untreatable, along with incurable misfortune from
certain curses inflicted by witches of some black sect on persons who were
defenseless from such spells. In spite of having been persecuted in the past,
it is possible to find machis or curanderos who will will treat or
alleviate some malaise which modern medicine does not know.
